The 12 teams for the third round of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying have been determined.
Jamaica, Costa Rica, and Panama headlined the nations advancing to the third and final round of CONCACAF’s qualifying format. A total of seven of the 12 nations went through the second round of qualifying unbeaten in their four matches.
Group A saw Honduras and Bermuda advance while Cuba missed out on second place by one point. Honduras is seeking its fourth World Cup appearance while Bermuda has yet to make a World Cup in its history.
Costa Rica and Trinidad & Tobago advanced out of Group B, with The Ticos topping the five-team group. Costa Rica’s 17 goals scored were the most out of any nation during the second round of qualifying.
Curacao topped Haiti in Group C, registering a second-best +13 goal differential. Should Curacao reach the World Cup, it will be its first-ever tournament berth. Haiti is seeking its second-ever World Cup berth and first since 1974.
Panama topped Group D, finishing three points better of second-place Nicaragua. The Panamanians tied with Costa Rica in the fewest goals allowed during the second round of qualifying (1). A World Cup berth for Nicaragua would be the country’s first.
Despite scoring eight goals in four matches, Jamaica topped Group E ahead of second-place finishers Guatemala. Jamaica is seeking its second-ever World Cup berth while Guatemala has yet reach a World Cup in its history.
Suriname and El Salvador qualified for the third round after finishing first and second respectively in Group F. El Salvador is seeking its third-ever World Cup berth while Suriname is seeking its first.
The 12 qualifying nations will be divided into three groups of four teams during Thursday’s draw at CONCACAF headquarters. Third-round qualifying will see each team play home-and-away series with each team in its group, with the first place finishers qualifying for the World Cup.
The best two of three runners-up teams will advance to the Inter-Confederation Playoffs, and will be joined by one team from each of the following federations; AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL, and OFC.
The FIFA Inter-Confederation Playoffs are set to take place in March 2026 between the six playoff nations.
